Chocolate-Peanut Spread

I have this little book for 2 years now, "200 Chocolate Recipes" by Felicity Barnum-Bobb. I use it for food photography purpose and never tried any recipes in it. Until one night I was thinking it's time for the book to fulfill its destiny in my hand.

How I wished we grow hazelnuts locally in this country, coz a jar of homemade Nutella won't hurt at all. But I love peanuts just the same. I can finish a jar of Skippy crunchy peanut butter by myself and not feel guilty at all :). So when I poured the shiny chocolate spread into 2 half-pint mason jars, I couldn't help but feeling gleeful inside, almost could feel the dancing of two most delightful food in the world on my tongue already.

It was that good I felt like spooning all night. Literally :)

Chocolate-Peanut Spread
Original recipe by Felicity Barnum-Bobb
Modified by Riana

Makes 500 g

375 g milk dark chocolate (you can still use milk chocolate, of course, or even white?)
125 g hazelnuts peanuts, skin on, toasted
2 Tbsp vegetable oil (I use rice bran oil)
2 Tbsp powdered sugar
1 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water.
2. Grind the peanuts into a paste in a food processor. Add the oil, sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla extract, and whiz again to combine.
3. Pour in the melted chocolate and blend until the mixture is very smooth, warm and runny. Pour it into a  clean jar (sterilized is better) and cover. Leave to cool and thicken slightly before using. It will keep for up to 1 month covered, at room temperature. You know, if you don't finish it all already :)

Note:

• Use real chocolate for best result. The ones with cocoa butter, not palm oil. The coverture ones, not the compound.
• Do not worry that the spread turns out runny. It is at first, but  it will thickened after 1-2 days, achieving a true spread consistency.
• Because it uses caster sugar, the texture is a little bit gritty. It is still creamy and good, but I'll try using powdered sugar next time for extra smoothness.

I bought the mason jars at Ace Hardware. They're cheap and good, available in various sizes. I lined the cover with the pretty fabrics I bought at BagusBagus scrapbook counter of Ria Nirwana, my scrapbook yoda, sent one jar along with a loaf of wholewheat bread to my best friend and keep another for my indulgence.

Hope you like it like I do :)